Home / Arts and Entertainment / New Docuseries Questions Murder Conviction of Dana Chandler
New Docuseries Questions Murder Conviction of Dana Chandler
31 Aug
Summary
- A new docuseries revisits the 2002 killings of a Kansas couple.
- The series focuses on Dana Chandler, convicted of the murders but with questions about guilt.
- A housewife from Kansas believes Chandler is innocent and convinced a journalist.
A new three-part docuseries, "A Killer Story," set to premiere on HBO on September 10, will delve into the 2002 killings of Mike Sisco and Karen Harkness in Topeka, Kansas. The series follows journalist Joe Sexton as he is contacted by Eileen Umbehr, a Kansas woman convinced that Dana Chandler, the convicted ex-wife of one of the victims, is innocent.
Despite Chandler's arrest in 2011 and conviction in 2012, questions surrounding the case persist. Notably, no murder weapon was recovered, and the physical evidence directly linking Chandler to the crime scene was notably absent. Umbehr and her husband, Keen, express their strong belief in Chandler's innocence, emphasizing the lack of a weapon and Chandler's significant distance from the crime location.
Chandler's legal journey has been complex. Her initial convictions were overturned in 2018 due to prosecutorial misconduct, though the case was not dismissed. Subsequent trials, including a retrial in 2022 that resulted in a hung jury, and a third trial in 2025 where she represented herself, culminated in a life sentence in June 2025. Prosecutors relied heavily on circumstantial evidence, such as numerous calls made by Chandler and a period of cellphone silence around the time of the murders.
